Plane Travel

Type 1 and LADA
1

Hi, all!

I've flown a lot as a diabetic, but my trip in two weeks is the first time I've flown with a pump. I've read things here and there about peoples personal travels with the pump, but I thought I'd ask again.

I have a Minimed Paradigm pump. I've heard of women putting it in their bras and not setting off the metal detectors and I've heard of people putting it through the x-ray machines, so I'm just wondering what your personal preference is? I know the rules for things change all the time.

I'll only be gone over night so I don't have to take many supplies, and I know to have all prescription labels on all my medication, so what I'm really just asking about is getting the pump through security without getting a full body pat down or having to be put in the full body scanner. Obviously if I have to, I have to, but if I could avoid those that would be awesome.

Thanks!

2

Here's what I did - when my turn came in the security line, I let the TSA person know that I was wearing an insulin pump, which is a medical device that I cannot remove. I told them that I could go through the standard metal detector machine, but I COULD NOT go through the full body scanner or put my pump through the x-ray machine.

IT is VERY IMPORTANT that you DO NOT put your pump through the x-ray machine OR put it within the full-body scanner. Both of those devices could damage the pump. A pump malfunction could kill you, because the pump could suddenly dump a bunch of insulin in your system.

As a good measure, you should also have a note from your endos office noting that you need to wear an insulin pump. Oh, and make sure to carry the card that came with your pump (the one that explains it cannot go through an x-ray machine). I've had to whip that out several times and show it to security folks. Once they see it, they are usually ok with letting you go through.

3

Do you know if you can request a new pump card? I've had the pump for almost 4 years and have moved since and have no idea where the box my pump came in is. I know I have it somewhere, there's just really no telling where it might be.

4

I think you can go on Medtronic's site and download a lot of these forms. I remeber seeing it on there before. I'll take a look and see if I can find it real quick.

Here is the link for Medtronic

http://www.medtronicdiabetes.net/support/download-library/other

its under Emergency Card.

5

This is going to be long winded since I travel quite a bit by plane now, (at least every other week). Experiences will vary between airports and where you are traveling. My experiences are between O'hare (Chicago) and East and South of Chicago. Your experiences will also very depending on the time of year, and the security state at your airports.

I would like to say, I never ever tell them I have a pump until I get questioned. Why create a delay or a pat down? There is absolutely no reason to tell anyone about a medical condition. I'm vocal with my friends and family that I have diabetes, and that I have a cool pump - but I'm not going to tell some stranger the same information.

You should know there are 2 different types of body scanners for all airports. Millimeter wave scanners (you walk into a tube) & background (x-ray) scanners. (Stand between 2 panels) Thought he pump companies say "Do not X-Ray" - I never take my pump off and put it though the bag scanner, but I see little risk to the body scanners. Again your choice - I'm not advocating any way you want to choose going through security. If something jacks my pump up, I always have pens and an insurance policy that will replace my pump.

Metal detectors at all airports are different. If there is no scanner at your security station, you will go through the doorway of "Ding" (LOL) most times even if there is a body scanner. I've had about a 50/50 chance the pump was not detected. If you ping the detectors, just pull the pump out and show them, you will need the pat down. No ding - go straight through and no worries.

O'Hare is interesting. Body scanners. I've flown both American & United (2 different terminals) and to tell you the truth, United is the fastest. They seem to understand what a pump is. American, I always get a hassle. I think I can only remember once where I was not patted down after going through the body scanner. The pat downs are fast. It only adds maybe 5 to 10 minutes of extra time - and to be honest, I've never been treated bad at O'Hare. Body scanners will always see the pump and tube. Again, just pull the pump out and show them.

Laguardia (NY) (no body scanners) & Newark (NJ) (body scanners) were fast as well. Laguardia doesn't have body scanners (as of today). Laguardia I've never had an extended pat down, and I've never pinged the metal detector. Fastest airport ever. Newark is not fast. Expect to walk through a 45 minute line each and every time. Pat down at Newark is fast, and not cumbersome. Newark also offers a liquid testing program (new at some airports) where you can bring more then 4 oz of liquids through. I've not used this option, so take that at your own risk.

Boston - UGH. can I say UGH again? This was a crappy experience. I've only flown through here once, and it was right before Christmas, so a high security time. Body scanner. I was fully patted down, questioned to death and had both my bags inspected. It took an additional 30 minutes. I was questioned about all my medications. I will be going back through Boston next week, so if I have the same experience, I'm going to try and avoid this airport if I have a choice.

Nashville (body scanner) - all I can say is AWESOME. These people had their stuff together. Again, I still had to have a pat down, I had forgotten a soda in my bag, because I was late to the airport. They let me keep it! They had a liquid testing station there, though it was not advertised like Newark.

As I say this, your millage may very depending on your attitude and the attitude of the TSA agents. I'm always polite, I'm always up front about my pump (after being asked). Most TSA agents are professionals (ya I said that) just doing a job.

If you have any other questions - feel free to PM me - I think this post is long enough.

6

I fly many time a month and my exeperience varies greatly depending on the airport from which I depart. I have found Europe locations to be super easy. They still use medical detectors and I have no problem wearing my pump through one of those. In Europe, I tell them I will set it off, I walk through, and then I show the pump to the security person and all is golden. In the US very varied experinces and I have gotten to the point that I insist on controlling the experience. If there is a full body scanner -- I unhook the pump and hand it to the TSA asking for that to be swabbed, then after I am through the scanner, they will swab either my hands or the pump itself. If there is a metal detector I wear it through, telling them I have a pump, and then I go through the pat down. I never ever put it through the xray. My pump uses lithuim batteries which the xray adversly impacts (once I forgot and let lithiums in my bag - -the next time I changed my pump battery and used one of those tainted batteries, it lasted for only about a day). I wear an Animas Ping and have talked to Animas abotut the full body scanners -- they said do not let them scan it. There is part of me that questions whether that type of imaging really would hurt the pump but I'm just not willing to take the risk -- if Animas says don't, I don't. All that being said, I have had my challenges with certain airports being willing to swab the pump rather than scan it. The worst is the Las Vegas airport. Their I actually said after a bunch of discussion -- this little machine is essentially my pancreas -- it is a vital organ. If a stranger were telling you to take an unnecessary risk with one of your vital organs and that you had been advised by experts NOT to do what that stranger is telling you to do, would you risk your vital organ. They took it and swabbed my hands then. But most airports - -no problem. If I respect the TSA agent and explain my request, they accomodate it.

7

Good info. I was told, however, that the body scanners can screw the pump up. I think the verdict is still out as to what exactly they could do to the pump, but my pump trainer basically told me that they don't want anyone taking chances.

In terms of the pump breaking - best case scenario would be that it just stops working. However, worst case scenario is that it dumps a crap load of insulin into your system and you die. While this is rare, my pump trainer was aware of someone this happened to after their pump accidentally went through an MRI machine. The person didn't die, but did end up in the ICU for three days.

8

I'll be flying out of DFW and I've never had a problem with them before. I'm also one to not tell if they don't ask. I proudly wear my pump out for all to see, but I'm not going to talk about it unless someone asks. I'll be flying American out of DFW, which is one of the bigger terminals, so I'm hoping that they know what they're doing and don't give me too much of a fuss.

9

Yeah, I wasn't too keen on putting it through the x-ray, I just wasn't sure if that was something that I should do or not, so that went for the body scanners, too. My brother-in-law, who flies weekly out of DFW, has only had go through the body scanner once, and I'm not really sure why they tagged him as one who needed it. Either way, it doesn't seem like a common practice at my airport, just something that's there for people who request it. My mom had a full body pat down a year and a half ago because she was wearing a long skirt and didn't want to go into the body scanner and said that that was something she never wanted to experience ever again. Of course, that was when they first started doing the full body pat downs like they are now, so maybe they've been trained better and learned a thing or two by now.

10

Like many others I truly hate the whole security process. I realize it is now a part of air travel and something we will just have to cope with.

The first few times I went thru with my pump, I had a bad experience. Friends and family know about my diabetes, but I do not share it with the world. I have had the ackward experience of travleing with colleagues who did not know that I am a diabetic (I conceal my pump under my waist band). When you find yourself surronded by security asking you to take out your pump and then having it scrutinized, well frankly I feel my privacy and health history has been completely violated. It would be like the receptionist in the Doctor's office yelling out to the waiting patients; "the Doctor will see Mrs Jones about her diabetes now"

So I too try to control the process as much as possible, and for me this means I discretely remove my pump before entering the line and I place it in my handbag. It goes thru the bag scanner. It has never been flagged and it continues to work perfectly. (my last HA1C was 5.7)

I like to understand the rationale for most decisions. I have tried to search out why a pump would be harmed by the Xray scanner. Unfortuneatley I have not found a scientific answer. I am totally confused by the fact that computers, cameras, smartphones, etc can all go thru the scanner without harm. I do not believe the circuit board of a pump would be much different from the circuit board of a smartphone, in fact I would argue that an iphone is likely far more sophisticated. I asked my endocrinologist about this. She told me that the pump companies make this recommendation as there may be some evidence that Xray energy may denature the insulin protein molecule, rendering it less potent. I am not sure this is valid, but it certainly makes more sense to me.

I am not for a second advocating that anyone ignore the pump company recommendation. It is a personal choice pump owners have to make. For me it is a calculated risk, that offsets the significant violation of my privacy. I am prepared to take that risk, as I believe it is a very small (or non-existant one). Safe and happy "pump" travels to all!

11

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a totally different technology. I'm actually surprised that they even let a pump with metal parts get within 100 feet of a scanner. The pump could have actually killed people.If you Google MRI deaths, it's not common, but it's a risk you take when an MRI is needed

I did a little homework on scanners just due to the fact I travel for a living. Background or back scatter machines are also different from Millimeter wave machines. There's a lot of FUD around both types of scanners. My basic advice around the TSA is be aware of what you are carrying (even I make mistakes) Be polite, be to the point, don't be evasive and you will save yourself time and actually save other people traveling time in the security area.

12

This Christmas I flew with my pump for the first time (an Omnipod). The Omnipod doesn't seem to set off a metal detector and if I go through one, I don't say anything unless it is detected.

It WILL likely be picked up by a body scanner. I was selected randomly in Tampa to go through the body scanner(in this case a millimeter wave scanner)....it showed the something and I explained it was an insulin pump. They had me step aside to a private room where they asked me to touch the pump with both hands, then they rubbed a paper on my hands and put it in an explosives detector. That was it.

It did cause a few minutes of extra delay.

13

Do not be afraid. If you do, we lose. FLY!!!

14

My pump manual and the on line info clearly says not to wear the pump through body scanner, allow it to go through the xray, or any MRI (when airports start doing MRI on us our tickets are going to be REAL expensive LOL). I just walk through the metal detector and let them pat me down. Takes less time than getting pulled over if/when they discover something. Diabetics have been traveling with pumps for years, it's when we make a production of it that it becomes a problem...just my .02.

15

You have the right plan ... don't make a fuss and you won't receive one. Have a great trip.